Paragone A Comparison of the Arts

da Vinci, Leonardo (Introduction by Irma A. Richter, trans.)

Published by Geoffrey Cumberlege at the Oxford University Press, London,, 1949

About this Item

Hardcover, large octavo, 112pp., 12 monochrome plates. Foxed preliminaries, spotted text block edges; boards sunned, spine and corners slightly bumped; dustwrapper discoloured, minor creasing at edges. Very good in like dustwrapper. Professionally protected by superior non-adhesive polypropylene film. Postage quoted is for a standard format octavo book. Final charges may vary depending on size and weight. In this volume, Leonardo da Vinci, the representative spokesman of the arts and sciences, expresses his views on the subject. Painting, Sculpture, Poetry and Music are included in the discussion, which often takes the form of an argumentative conversation between representatives of these arts. His arguments are based on the classical tradition, and although they were not such as might be used today, his investigations of the purely formal possibilities and limitations of the various media of each art were taken up by later generations and led eventually to comparative art criticism and to aesthetics as an independent branch of philosophy. In the introduction to this volume, an attempt has been made to analyse Leonardo's views against the background of the prevalent traditions and also to compare and relate them to certain modern concepts.

Seller Inventory # 7363

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Paragone A Comparison of the Arts
• Publisher: Geoffrey Cumberlege at the Oxford University Press, London,
• Publication Date: 1949